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This went above and beyond all my expectations. I am the first to admit that I love retellings, but oh my goodness. I would not even consider this as a simple retelling because there is just so much more to the story. What a rich and complex world Lynn built. This is considered a Rapunzel retelling but I liked how she took parts of Sleeping Beauty as well. They worked so well together to give us a tale of curses and magic. The curse that has plagues Etta’s family now lies with her and she is determined to end it. Magic was purged from Gaule and anyone possessing magic was executed. After a barrier was erect to keep people with magic in their blood from leaving the city - anyone with magic had to keep it a secret. There was just so many amazing parts in this story that I just kept wanting more. The pace was fantastic and, honestly, so much happened but it never felt overwhelming. Events occurred that I was not expecting which kept the story interesting. And then that ending… I flew through it because I just had to know.

Along with a great story, we were blessed with amazing characters. Etta was a fantastic protagonist and I loved her attitude. She was funny, smart, brave, vulnerable, and just an amazing character. I really enjoyed watching her develop and seeing her walls break down. While she puts up a tough exterior it was nice to see how easily she let the right people in as well. Then we have Alex. I don’t think I’ve read about a prince that I like more than him. He was so complex and it worked for him. Usually, royals have a certain personality to them but not Alex. He was kind but had a temper. He was not a warrior but could still own his own. He never let people forget that he was a prince but he made light of his title as well. Alex just had this mesh of a personality that kept him interesting. Then the chemistry between Etta and Alex, are they meant to be (YES, I HOPE SO) or is it just the curse (NO, IT CAN’T BE JUST THAT)? I am excited to see how their story unfolds.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Golden Curse by M. Lynn is such a fantastic book. I loved everything about this with the setting that was so magically described. This was full of magic, curses, action, and love. A book like this reminds me why I love the fantasy world so much. Etta and Alex were such great characters with complex personalities that it truly made them easy to connect with. It was fantastic to see the range of emotions that they went through just in this story. I highly recommend this book if you love fantasy retellings, curses, magic, and action.